1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to pillow covers and, more particularly, to pillow shams.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Pillow shams have long been used to cover and provide a decorative appearance to pillows during the day, the shams being placed over the pillows in the morning and removed at night.
A common pillow sham in widespread use today generally has a rectangular shape and is formed from textile sheet material having opposed front and rear panels, with the rear panel being provided with a transverse opening for insertion and removal of a pillow. Such shams are often provided with borders, such as ruffles, to enhance the decorative appearance.
Another type of pillow sham of the prior art is formed from a central front panel and underlying strips joined to the perimetric edges of the front panel to define a rear pocket into which a pillow may be inserted. Such a pillow sham is illustrated and described in U.S. Pat. No. 1,042,439.
One disadvantage of the described pillow shams is that they have no elasticity to conform them closely to varying sizes in pillows. Furthermore, the decorative aspect of such pillow shams is limited to the choice of fabric design and the nature of any border.